The UK’s recruitment and staffing industry was an engine of high employment over the past decade, finding over a million people new permanent jobs every year and placing a million temps into work every day. It is a sector where Britain leads the way, with over 100,000 people working to help people find opportunities and companies to grow.
We all know that the shadow of COVID-19 in our jobs market will be a long one, as the country faces higher unemployment than we have seen for many years. Jobcentres and employability services will be stretched – but our industry has the capacity to help. Many new jobseekers may not have sought a job for many years, or need to change sectors. Our members can help with support on how to job search in the modern market, CV construction, skills pathways, and interview skills.
Committing resource to supporting the unemployed via private employment businesses has two clear benefits: immediate help for the unemployed, and a more robust sector as the recovery heats up – better able to drive unemployment down. We have already had some positive discussions with officials about what we might be able to achieve together. We ask you to support the plans that we are working up with the department – and to champion the role our sector can play.
source APSCo